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Campus
'''Campus '''is a small settlement of ghouls in the ruins of Seton Hall University. History Pre-War Seton Hall University was founded in 1856 by Bishop James Roosevelt Bayley, the first bishop of the newly established diocese of Newark. Named after his aunt, St. Elizabeth Ann Bayley Seton, the institution rapidly grew over the years, becoming a regional institution. When it opened its doors, the university had five students and employed five instructors; by the time the 21st century arrived, Seton Hall University enrolled almost 10,000 undergraduate and postgraduate students and employed over 800 instructors. In 2045, fearing how the looming energy crisis might disrupt society, the university received a large grant from Poseidon Energy to offer a new course of study, Energy Sciences. A multi-discipline major, Energy Sciences combined politics, science, and economics into a four-year undergraduate degree and further postgraduate studies. To aid in research, the McCarthy-Hall Nuclear Reactor and the James O’Dowd Tesla Laboratory, was erected. Over the next few decades, numerous graduates would go on to become executives in Poseidon Energy and its many subsidiaries. Post-War Newark was targeted by Chinese bombs during the Great War, but thanks to the ZAX Supercomputer installed at Newark Airport, the warheads were knocked off course into Newark Bay. Seton Hall University was not outright destroyed, but it did sustain major damage from the massive airburst from the nearby explosions. Those that survived the apocalypse quickly became desperate. Like many other urban settings, it quickly became a warzone as survivors who remained gave up all scruples and did whatever was necessary to survive. Seton Hall University was quickly scavenged. Over the years, many came and went, but those that stayed for any prolonged period invariably got sick. Those that stayed for too long began experiencing itchy skin, fatigue, nausea, stomach problems, hair loss, and other symptoms. In addition to the lingering radiation from the fallout of the Great War, the McCarthy-Hall Nuclear Reactor melted down. While small, being a teaching tool rather than a power plant, it still emitted enough radiation to irradiate the area. In 2130, the Great Winter began. Groups of wandering wastelanders, not knowing about the dangers of radiation poisoning, settled in the abandoned university to avoid the snow that was blanketing the world. People took refuge in the buildings, but as the snow continued to fall, found themselves stuck in the radioactive buildings. Radiation poisoning took the lives of many, but many others did not die and instead became ghouls. When the snows melted, the survivors banded together in light of the transformations they underwent and settled in the ruins of Seton Hall, which they began calling ‘Campus’. The ghouls kept a low profile and tended to watch the political developments in the area, rather than be a part of them. Part of the reason was the relatively small number of residents of Campus, but part of the reason was also the discrimination that they faced due to the beliefs of the East Coast Catholic Church. According to the official teachings of the church, ghoulification is unnatural and a sin. Though the church taught the flawed logic that the "sin" is evil, while the "sinner" who is afflicted by it is not, ghouls were discriminated against by the religious organization and its adherents. In the 2230s, Born Again Nation and the Old Lords of New York became engaged in a conflict in Upstate New York and Connecticut. The East Coast Catholic Church lent its support to the Old Lords of New York, as they considered Born Again Nation a heresy. The ghouls of Campus were in no way involved in the conflict to the north, but given the fact that they were ghouls, they received pushback. Sending emissaries to the other Brick City settlements, the ghouls of Campus unsuccessfully lobbied to join the Brick City Alliance, as a way to show that they meant no harm. While Terminal City halfheartedly supported their inclusion, and Junkport was neutral, Basilica and New Lisbon were completely against including the ghouls. After intense negotiations, the ghouls were able to secure their entrance into the alliance, but on one condition- the McCarthy-Hall Nuclear Reactor was to be repaired and reactivated. In 2235, the ghouls were able to do so, and joined the Brick City Alliance. While the reactivation of the reactor had immediate positive consequences, it attracted unwanted attention. The Followers of Einstein, a cult located further south, was drawn to the reactor and began harassing the ghouls. The radiation suit-clad cultists at first began surveying and observing the settlement, but in the years since have become more and more aggressive, with the elders in the settlement now fearing that a wholescale incursion is imminent. Economy The economy of Campus is almost completely tied to the reactivated McCarthy-Hall Nuclear Reactor. As part of the terms of their being allowed to enter into the Brick City Alliance, the Ghouls provide other settlements in Brick City with power. The L and Basilica are the primary recipients of the power, as Terminal City creates its own and The Eyrie, Junkport, and New Lisbon are too far. Given that the population is composed primarily of ghouls, and that the settlement is relatively small, Campus does not engage in much direct trade with the other Brick City settlements. When supplies that are not already in the settlement are needed, designated residents travel east, through Green Skies to The L. Every so often, when specifically contacted and contracted, traders representing Garden State Shipping travel up the ruins of the Garden State Parkway and detour to Campus. Government In the past, Campus had no real government, with residents more or less doing as they pleased, so long as their actions did not attract negative attention from the outside. Since reactivating the McCarthy-Hall Nuclear Reactor in 2235, joining the Brick City Alliance, and attracting the Followers of Einstein, the ghouls have been forced to more formally organize. Layout Though a part of Brick City, Campus is not actually within the city limits of Newark. Seton Hall University was established in South Orange, an affluent suburban township of roughly 16,000 residents bordering Newark on the city’s western side. The settlement is based in and around the husks of former offices, dormitories, and lecture halls. President’s Hall, one of the oldest buildings on the former university, is located in the center of the settlement and is where most residents live. The McCarthy-Hall Nuclear Reactor is located on the edge of the former campus. Relations Though a part of Brick City, the ghouls are barely tolerated. Basilica objects to the ghoul settlement based on philosophical reasons and only barely accept them because their nuclear energy funnels power into the religious enclave. New Lisbon, being a kingdom with close and intimate ties to the East Coast Catholic Church, similarly disapproves of the ghouls. Terminal City and Junkport are neutral on the issue, as they are located on the eastern side of Brick City and rarely interact with the ghouls. The Eyrie, the most recent signatory to the Brick City Alliance, is the only settlement to accept the ghouls, though they barely interact with them given their location. The Pulaski Birdmen are equally distrusted and barely tolerated, and can sympathize with the ghouls. The Followers of Einstein have recently begun to harass the ghouls. Their intentions are not yet known, but given the strange and dangerous beliefs of the cult, they cannot be good. Category:New Jersey Category:Places